An Average of 50% of Stroke Survivors Recover Full Use of Their Arm

SAN DIEGO, Feb 14, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Every two seconds someone in the world suffers a stroke. A study from
the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago approached stroke rehabilitation
through a new combination of therapies which produced significantly
greater gains in patients’ motor function 6 months post-stroke. The
combination of non-invasive navigated transcranial stimulation (nTMS)
along with occupational therapy (OT) opened the door to improving the
quality of life for stroke survivors. The study presented Thursday at
the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke
Association’s (ASA) International Stroke Conference, yielded results
from the active group of improved function by 13+ points in UEFM score.

Dr. Richard Harvey and his team at the Rehabilitation Institute of
Chicago (RIC) presented their research (presentation #152) which
looked at the combination of non-invasive nTMS along with OT in
post-stroke patients.

Treatment consisted of 20 minutes of pre-functional OT, 17 minutes of
nTMS, followed by 60 minutes of upper limb task-oriented OT. Patients
received treatment during 3 visits per week, for 6 weeks, as the
standard of care in the US. They then returned for follow-up visits at 1
week, 1 month, and 6 months. The study found that Nexstim’s non-invasive
Navigated Brain Stimulation (NBS) System used as an adjunct to therapy
promoted lasting improvements in patients’ motor function compared to
the sham group.

“What we found is that there are areas of the brain, usually where
the lesion is, that are less active than they used to be, and that there
are actually areas on the brain on the opposite hemisphere, the healthy
side of the brain, that are more active than they used to be.” – Lynn
Rogers, PhD, Director, Neuralplasticity Laboratory, RIC

The Technology

Nexstim’s NBS System uses stereotactic, MRI-guided transcranial magnetic
stimulation (TMS) to non-invasively modulate precise areas of the motor
cortex. The System’s e-field-based targeting tool allows the therapist
to accurately locate the patient’s exact stimulation location using
technology similar to navigating the globe with a GPS. The nTMS was used
to stimulate the patient’s non-injured hemisphere at low frequency. The
nTMS affects the excitability of the brain, down-regulating the healthy
side of the brain. Adding navigation to TMS is the key to finding the
exact location and orientation of the e-field of the motor area that
should be inhibited by stimulation. Nexstim’s targeted stimulation has
been proven to correlate with Direct Cortical Stimulation in the OR).

“The trial results from RIC, the top site in post-acute stroke rehab
in the US, are showing great potential for non-invasive brain
modulation. The difference Nexstim is providing is the proven navigation
to enable this approach. We are dedicated to taking this further and
bringing this to the market for the patient care.” – Janne Huhtala,
CEO, Nexstim

About The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) is the largest
rehabilitation research enterprise in the world, and the Nation’s
#1-ranked provider of comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation
care to patients from around the world. Ranked #1 by both U.S. News
and World Report and the U.S. National Institutes of Health, RIC
holds an unparalleled market distinction. Founded in 1954, RIC has been
designated the “#1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America” by U.S.
News & World Report every year since 1991.

About Nexstim

Founded in Helsinki, Finland in 2000, Nexstim is committed to improving
the quality of life of patients with significant unmet clinical needs.
The advanced technology providing navigation to TMS has led to Nexstim
being the world leader in image-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation
(TMS).

Nexstim has pioneered the technology for brain diagnostics, holding
FDA-clearance of the Navigated Brain Stimulation (NBS) System for
non-invasive pre-surgical mapping. NBS is recognized as the emerging
standard for pre-operative direct functional mapping. Nexstim’s NBS
System enables treatment of brain injury and disease using repetitive
TMS (rTMS) with accurate and repeatable 3D-guidance of therapeutic
electrical field. See www.nexstim.com.

Caution: Nexstim’s non-invasive NBS System is not approved by the
Food and Drug Administration for therapy in commercial use in the United
States and is available to select physicians for investigational use
only.

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